Kangxi's wishful thinking

A lamp is as dim as a bean, and a person is on the verge of death.

Galdan, the once powerful leader, was like a candle in the wind, about to die. He was already seriously ill, and the blow of failure and his difficult situation made him even want to die. After being hit by Qingde, he was barely able to breathe. Along the way, he was cared for by Zhong Qihai and was ordered by Fei Yanggu to bring someone back alive, so he was clinging to life.

Galdan headed south, knowing full well that he was destined to be a prisoner, but he didn't want to. However, he couldn't even decide to die. After being hit on the head, he couldn't move properly, and one can imagine how frustrated he felt.

Kangxi treated this prisoner well and provided him with good food and drink. However, since he was seriously ill, he could not even be exhibited, which made Kangxi quite unhappy.

However, Galdan would rather die than be a captive. After being captured, he initially fell ill and couldn't speak, then simply pretended to be mute. He was seriously ill, so no one could accuse him of feigning illness. Even when Kangxi personally visited him, he squinted, his eyes still visible through the slits.

He refused to eat, so Zhong Qihai tried to persuade him, "I've heard there's a saying: 'As long as the green mountains remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood.' So what if you suffer a little humiliation? Genghis Khan was also captured by his enemies, but he still accomplished great things."

Galdan smiled bitterly. How old was Genghis Khan when he escaped from his enemies? He had plenty of youth to strive for, but he was already fifty-four, a worn-out old man. His hometown had been raided by his young nephew, so nominally, Tsewang Arabtan was more legitimate than himself.

Returning home under Kangxi's watchful eye was an impossibility. Galdan's experience and intuition told him that Kangxi's true nature was far from the benevolent ruler he presented himself to be. Better to die than to linger on. Galdan sneered. An emperor like Kangxi, obsessed with reputation, spared his own sons, hoping to use them as his living poster boy. Wishful thinking!

However, although Zhong Qihai was allowed to take care of him, the Qing court did not relax its vigilance against him. There must have been two guards outside his tent, claiming to protect him, and two eunuchs inside the tent, claiming to serve him. He would not have found any opportunity to commit suicide.

People always come up with solutions.

Zhong Qihai came to feed him medicine and served him food. A complex expression flashed in Galdan's eyes. Being cruel to the enemy's wife and children was necessary, but he couldn't bear to be cruel to his own children. He was ruthless and did what he had to do. Why should he be so ruthless?

All sharp objects in the tent had been taken away. He looked at his daughter's head and saw she had already consciously removed the jewelry. His eyes slid down, and he stretched out his hand with difficulty.

Zhong Qihai hurriedly lifted his hand. Galdan's hand slid across her face twice, deflecting the tears and leaving two streaks that streaked down her cheeks. Zhong Qihai's tears fell even more violently, sobbing, "Dad, I regret this. I shouldn't have persuaded you to come to this place of suffering..."

Galdan shook his head with difficulty, pausing after each word: "I never regret it." He grabbed her hand, gently pinched the ring on her hand, and made a gesture to take it off.

Zhong Qihai thought that Galdan wanted to take it to look at it, or to put something on it, so he took it down and gave it to him.

After his daughter left, Galdan opened his palm and placed it, bit by bit, beside his pillow. He then tried to remove a ring from his own finger. Thanks to Kangxi's "kindness," the precious jewelry from their father and daughter had not been taken away. His strength was running out, so he rested for a while.

Two eunuchs in the tent saw Galdan fiddling with an earring in his hand, but they didn't think anything of it. If Galdan had just plucked a hairpin, the eunuchs might have thought he was committing suicide, but fiddling with a ring, no one would have thought. Furthermore, Galdan was always very quiet, as quiet as death. The two eunuchs didn't think he could do anything else, and every time the imperial physician came to check his pulse, he shook his head.

After covering Galdan with a quilt and adding two pieces of charcoal into the brazier, the two eunuchs lay down on the felt beside them and fell asleep under the quilt.

Hearing their snoring, Galdan slowly reached out and felt for the artery on the side of his neck. He might not be a good doctor, nor did he have much understanding of the human body, but he had killed before and knew where the body's vulnerabilities lay. His trembling hand found the artery where, with just one cut, blood would gush forth, and even a god could not save him. More than once, his knife had sliced ​​through the necks of his enemies, taking their lives.

This time, he wanted to end his journey in the human world. In a moment, this place will cease beating. Touching it again with fondness, Galdan first crumpled his daughter's gold ring into a small ball. Precious metal jewelry is very soft, and Galdan and his daughter's belongings were all good things, at least of relatively pure quality.

Slowly and laboriously, he brought it to his mouth, biting it firmly with his teeth. Hmm, it tastes a bit strange, but it's not unpleasant. It should be easy to eat, Galdan thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. Pausing to catch his breath, his tongue could taste the flavor of gold. He continued, repeating the same process, and crumbling his own ring into a small ball.

It was so hard to swallow. Even after the gold went down my throat, I could still feel like there was a bone stuck in my throat. This is just the first time. I don't want to die like this next time! I swallowed the slightly larger piece of gold as well.

He convulsed with grief. Death truly hurt. In that moment, Galdan felt as if the Buddha had made him experience all the suffering he hadn't yet endured in his life. The debt was settled, and I could go, Galdan consoled himself through the pain.

The eunuch was startled awake by the noise in the bed; it had never happened before. This master, he ate little, drank little, and never even woke up at night. What's going on today? He grumbled a few times, still remembering his duty. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked up to see the old man sobbing in the bunk.

I went forward to help, but suddenly I screamed, "Hey! Hey! What's going on? Help me!"

Soon, the higher-ups were alerted. By the time the imperial physician arrived, Galdan had already passed out. Heavy metal poisoning, even centuries later, was extremely difficult to treat. Missing the optimal treatment window meant death, or a life worse than death. And what about now?

Kangxi's depression was further exacerbated... He wanted to be a holy ruler respected by all the barbarians, but in the end, the captured "barbarian" was unwilling to honor him and killed himself.

Kangxi, filled with hatred, was also magnanimous, lamenting, "Although Galdan disobeyed my orders, he was a man. Give him a proper burial." He ordered Zhong Qihai to carry the coffin into Beijing and to handle the funeral alongside her brother, who had been captured earlier. He also asked the Lifanyuan and the Imperial Household Department to assist in the funeral. He appointed Galdan's son as a first-class guard.

All the ministers were impressed: "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler!" Only Kangxi was upset. He wanted to bring Galdan as a captive to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Everyone else felt that the carnival back in Beijing would be much less glamorous without Galdan as a prop, and they all became unhappy.

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A gloomy atmosphere descended upon the capital as news spread that Kangxi had become a grandfather once again. This time, it was the Fourth Prince who had become a father once again. On March 26th, Ulanara gave birth to his eldest son, a son whom she named Honghui. Another happy occasion, and the atmosphere in the palace was filled with joy.

Yinreng didn't care that the fourth son had a legitimate son; his natural enemy was the eldest son. He even used the birth of his nephew to comfort Kangxi: "Congratulations to my Khan for having another grandson. May my Aisin-Gioro family flourish and the Qing Dynasty last forever."

Kangxi said, "You are so good at talking. When did you learn to be so articulate?"

"Didn't Khan Ama give birth to a son like this?"

As the father and son chatted and laughed, their mood improved a lot. Yinreng said, "It's just right. After we go back, we can still catch up with the baby's full moon."

Kangxi looked at Yinreng with some guilt: "When Hongdan was one month old and one year old, I was away on military campaigns. I was only in Beijing for the hundred days. I neglected the child and wronged you."

Yinreng smiled. "His hundredth day was so grand. How could I not know it was Khan Ama's intention? Besides, when he turned one month old and one year old, Khan Ama still remembered him even though he was in the army. He sent rewards and ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take care of it. He didn't neglect him, nor did he wrong me."

Kangxi then inquired in detail, "How is Hongdan? Has he ever been ill? The younger the child, the more careful you must be."

"Don't worry Khan Ama, he's fine."

"Hmm..." He was still thinking about it. It was a pity that he couldn't kiss her. "Next year, I will definitely give my grandson a good birthday."

Yinreng thanked Kangxi on his son's behalf and began to chat with him about his children's affairs. It was mostly idle chatter about what the baby had won during the "Grab the One" ceremony, his favorite foods and toys, and his usual behavior. Father and son began to analyze what the youngster's unconscious actions hinted at about his future.

In the eyes of their fathers and grandfathers, their own children and grandchildren are of course the best. Although he already knew this in the letter, Kangxi asked again: "Look carefully, when he was doing the "Zhuazhou" ceremony, did he first choose "Taiping Youxiang", then "Ruyi", and finally "Hushi"?

"Yes, one in each hand. He first hugged two jade ornaments. After he finished hugging them, his mother took them away and put them away. He still made a fuss. When she asked him to grab them again, he held a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, and gestured around. When they were taken away again, he almost cried. He hugged the gold key and silver box and refused to let go."

Well, during the Qing Dynasty's "Zhuazhou" ceremony, jade ornaments were typically used: two jade fan pendants, a gold key, a round silver box, a pair of rhinoceros sticks, a bow, an arrow, a writing set, a chrysanthemum tray, and a fruit table. Girls were missing the bow and arrow. This was standard; there were no prohibited items like seals.

Jade decorations are also chosen to have auspicious meanings. There are two items for the Hongdan and Zhou ceremony: the jade carving of Taiping Youxiang (a white elephant carrying a treasure vase, which is a homonym for it) and the jade Ruyi.

Children love bright things; it's their nature. The jade ruyi and the vase with the symbol of peace and prosperity are inlaid with a variety of gemstones, which are very eye-catching. The bow and arrow are painted a bright red and tied with bright red silk to show good luck. If not grab these, what else can you grab?

Yinreng thanked Kangxi again for the gift and said, "The Empress Dowager loves him and has given him a lot of things. The concubines have also given him a lot of rewards. The Ningshou Palace Consort is also very generous..."

After a while, he talked about the two illegitimate sons. "The eldest is not in good health and his martial arts skills are average, but Hongxi is not bad. It's rare that they get along well with each other and love their younger brother. I have to tell them that they can only play with Hongdan after they finish their homework."

He was showing off, and even gave the example of Hongxi learning to write and wanting to teach his brother. But the fat kid just woke up and sat down on the paper...

Kangxi laughed so hard that he fell backwards. Then he said, "That's good!" He comforted Yinreng, "You and Yinzhi were young and energetic at first, and had some problems. Now you are all better. That's how it should be. I also hope that you brothers can live in harmony, just as you hope that your sons can live in harmony. You have done very well, and he has changed a little. I want him to get closer to Prince Yu so that he can learn from him."

Yinreng blinked, a little shy. "Thank you, Khan Ama. I didn't get along well with my elder brother, and it's my fault that he was unhappy. After all, he is the elder brother and I am the younger brother, and there is a hierarchy of seniority. We are both Ama, and it is a sin to make Khan Ama worry about me."

Kangxi said with relief: "Even if you have a grandson and your beard is gray, he is still my son. I still worry about you all the time. It's human nature, and you can't change it."

Yinreng also wanted to flatter Yinzhi, so he said in a roundabout way: "Everything is ready for the wedding of my fifth and seventh brothers. We are just waiting for you to come back to preside over it. I would like to congratulate Khan Ama on having another grandson next year."

Kangxi was delighted. "You've worked hard, too. You've been busy arranging their marriage for a year or two. When the time comes, I'll have them toast you first!"

After praising each other, Yinreng got down to business: "Speaking of which, my eighth brother is also of age, and so is the princess who is temporarily staying at Prince An's mansion. I have been preparing for the prince's marriage for three or four years, and my fifth and seventh brothers have been preparing for more than two years as well. It would be a good idea for my eighth brother not to devote himself to this matter sooner rather than later."

"Well, you're right. Go back and see what happens. You've grown up, and I wanted you two brothers to be closer. Your brothers, from the eighth brother on down, are so different from you, and you're often apart, so you're not close. It's good that you're taking the initiative to get closer to them."

"That's because Eighth Brother is a good person. My son also heard from his wife that everyone in the palace says that Eighth Brother is kind and popular. Prince Bo also said that Eighth Brother is a good person."

"Really?"

"My son and the Prince did not spend much time together, but there was one time when he was unwell. My son sent someone to visit him, and when he came back he said that he had heard from the people in the Prince's mansion that the Prince praised me, saying that I was thoughtful, virtuous, and capable, and that I had come specially to visit him."

"Your uncle is ill? When did it happen?"

"Last year, when the army came back, Prince Bo was probably tired, but you asked the imperial physician to see him and even went to visit him specially." He looked puzzled.

"Oh, I remember now!" I am the boss of the faction, how could I be the one who praises the eighth one?

"Isn't that right? My eighth brother was thoughtful and went there in person. Even if my son sent someone else, his intentions would be inferior to his. Since he is a kind person, why not get close to his brother? If brothers are harmonious, it will be easier for him to do things for Khan Ama."

"Hmm."

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"Go and check what's going on between the eldest brother, the eighth brother and Prince Yu's Mansion." After Yinreng left, Kangxi gave the order.

The Eighth Prince had a good reputation, something Kangxi knew and indulged. He was also his son. Perhaps he received less favoritism and attention than the Crown Prince, perhaps he held less high hopes than the eldest, but he was still his biological son. What was wrong with a good reputation? What loss did it bring to Kangxi?

Furthermore, Kangxi also had a purpose: he arranged a strange marriage for the eighth son, marrying him to the daughter of a death row inmate. The significance of this was profound.

Lao Ba was actually a nail that Kangxi inserted into the Zhenglan Banner and controlled the outpost of the Zhenglan Banner.

The leader of the Zhenglan Banner was none other than Prince An.

Unlike previous dynasties, where the imperial family was divided into several territories, the Qing dynasty's princes were not dispersed throughout the country. However, this problem persisted. As the imperial family expanded, the previous dynasties faced the dilemma of having no more land to grant. In the Qing dynasty, however, each banner lord, large or small, led their own banner, and some aristocratic families had hereditary vassalage.

The legacy of the semi-slave system of the Later Jin regime was that slaves remained slaves, under the control of their masters. The hereditary power of the various banner masters, both large and small, led the bannermen and employed the bondservants. These were the foundations of the Manchu state.

The problem, which has been mentioned several times, is this: even if the state uses taxpayers' money to support and allow them to reproduce as much as possible, the number of people under the banner is still small! After a few generations... the prince will have no banner to lead.

In the Han Dynasty, the system was to reduce the power of the feudal lords. In the Ming Dynasty, it was still being reduced. In the Qing Dynasty, it was still being reduced. This time, it wasn't the Three Feudatories that were being reduced, but the banners held by distant relatives. They would be seized and given to their sons. Eighth Prince, this was Kangxi's first step.

The above is just the first reason.

Another reason was that Kangxi wanted to centralize power. Within the Later Jin, there was still a sliver of primitive democratic and military-style deliberation. The major bannermen held considerable influence, constraining the emperor on many matters.

During the reign of Huang Taiji, he and three other officials jointly sat in the south to rule the country, a practice that occurred only about sixty years later. Shunzhi's ascension to the throne was a result of negotiations that came to a head when the two yellow and two white flags were on the verge of a fight. The idea of ​​the throne being negotiated was somewhat unreliable. While things improved somewhat with Kangxi, the situation remained somewhat unsettled, leaving the emperor with a sense of disorganization.

Many things were out of sync, all caused by the banner power. Kangxi was fed up, as no one wanted to worry about this every day. The imperial power wanted to suppress the banner power. A prominent representative of the banner power was Yue Le.

After Shunzhi's death, the remaining princes were still teenagers or children! The oldest was no more than twenty. At this time, one man, many years older than the others, showed his height advantage and rose to prominence. This man was Yue Le. From a somewhat distant member of the imperial clan, he suddenly became the leader of the imperial clan princes in the early to middle period of the Shengzu Dynasty. He was Nurhaci's grandson, Abatai's fourth son, and was thirty-six years old at the time.

However, the reputation of the Prince An's Mansion was still good. Prince An Yue Le was a literary genius, and his reputation was truly good. His son, Prince Marhun, was a frequent visitor to the imperial family and even scholars from the imperial court. Among Yue Le's daughters, several were also talented and exceptionally gifted. Without a good reason, it would be difficult to eliminate their influence all at once, as it would provoke a backlash.

Kangxi chose to remove the fire from under the cauldron. First, following the established rules, he refused to grant him additional grace, demoting Marhun's succession to the title. Then, he dug up old scores and stripped Yue Le of his posthumous title. He then stripped Jing Xi of his title. However, the Prince An's mansion still held its banner and had numerous subordinates.

What should I do?

Let's insert our own child first. I don't believe our son is inferior to anyone else. Isn't his reputation really good? Little by little, he will gain a good reputation in the Zhenglan Banner, and the Zhenglan Banner will be much more obedient. If the Prince An's Mansion is attacked again, the title will be even lower, and then we can reduce his Zuoling...

The Prince An's mansion has fallen on hard times, and Emperor Kangxi has prepared a virtuous prince for everyone. Just listen to him and stay in line with the central government. Originally, since they share the same surname, marriage is impossible. Sending a prince to someone else's territory would be too obvious. It just so happens that there's a boarder at the Prince An's mansion. A quick comparison reveals that he's a perfect match for Old Eight, both in age and background. He's the one!

So, at this time, Kangxi had high hopes for Yinsi. He could seize control of the imperial family (actually Kangxi's own family) and centralize power without making a fuss, which would benefit everyone. Prince An's success would allow him to retire and naturally live in seclusion, while the Eighth Prince gained considerable power. Kangxi would then increase his control over the Zhenglan Banner. How wonderful!

Yue Le's reputation was truly immense, surpassing that of any other prince, even the Iron-Hat Princes. It was only natural that Kangxi would choose to target him. Of course, his perceived power was also significant, prompting a more gentle approach, a marriage of honor.

As for the other banners, Kangxi planned to just enfeoff them directly. After all, all the princes had to be enfeoffed.